Born in Yazd, Iran, and later moving to Tehran, I eventually relocated to the United Arab Emirates in pursuit of better educational opportunities. This led me to Gems Westminster School Sharjah, where I followed the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level curriculum. Here, I laid the groundwork for my academic path, sparking my interest in the sciences and setting the stage for my future pursuits.

• Gems Westminster Sharjah 

My journey to higher education in the United States was made possible through the support of the 1 for 2 Education Foundation. At Kalamazoo College, I majored in Computer Science with a concentration in Neuroscience, while minoring in Psychology and German. This diverse academic background laid the foundation for my pursuit of a PhD in Neuroscience, fostering my passion for interdisciplinary study.

• Shahriar Akhavan Tafti Receives the National Alpha Lambda Delta Scholarship

• Celebrating Academic Excellence – Shahriar Akhavan Tafti ’24 and Fellow Students Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa

• Recognizing Leadership and Dedication – Shahriar Akhavan Tafti ’24 Honored with Senior Leadership Award at Kalamazoo College

• Turning Trash into Art – Shahriar Akhavan Tafti ’24 and K’s ECO & Art Clubs Collaborate for Sustainability and Creativity

• Honoring Academic and Leadership Excellence – Shahriar Akhavan Tafti ’24 Recognized at K’s Senior Awards Ceremony! 

• K Students Clean Up for a Greener Tomorrow – Shahriar Akhavan Tafti ’24 Leads ECO and Bike Co-op in Community Stewardship!

• From Tehran to Tech and Neuro – Meet Shahriar Akhavan Tafti, a 1 for 2 Scholar Blending Computer Science and Neuroscience at Kalamazoo College 

My love for languages led me to the German Summer School at Middlebury College, an experience so enriching that I returned for a second summer. These immersive programs not only strengthened my German proficiency but also shaped my character, fostering personal and academic growth. Middlebury’s language pledge and intensive environment provided the perfect conditions for developing fluency and cultural appreciation.

For my senior capstone, I conducted research at the University of Michigan’s Mattis Lab, part of the Michigan Neuroscience Institute. Under the supervision of Dr. Joanna Mattis and guided by my Kalamazoo College mentor, Dr. Peter Erdi, I explored the correlation between pre-ictal EEG spikes and calcium dynamics in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) of SCN1A mutant mice. This project, blending fiber photometry and 2-photon calcium imaging, delved into epilepsy mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets.

• Shahriar Akhavan Tafti Joins the Mattis Lab – Bridging Neuroscience, Tech, and Innovation 

Licens.io specializes in technology diligence, risk management, and intellectual property valuation, focusing on software, data, and machine learning assets. As a backend developer, I created internal tools, including data visualization platforms that streamlined risk analysis and highlighted vulnerabilities in legacy software, enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of their tech assessment processes. 

• Shahriar Akhavan Tafti Joins Licens.io as Front-End Developer for Summer Role 

• Licens.io

Kikcit is a startup developing innovative social and collaborative applications. I contributed as a frontend React developer, working on the pre-beta version of their app. My role involved implementing responsive UI components and ensuring seamless user interaction, contributing to the app's foundational development before public release.

• Kikcit

LAP is a nonprofit dedicated to increasing transparency and accountability in judicial clerkships. During my internship, I maintained and expanded the company’s tech infrastructure, focusing on enhancing their centralized clerkship database. I inherited full stack development, supporting ongoing improvements while the organization sought a full-time developer to continue the project. 

• LAP